Hayes: When will we see another championship? Ranking Detroit's chances

FILE - In this June 13, 2002, file photo, Detroit Red Wings captain Steve Yzerman, accompanied by his daughter Isabella, holds the Stanley Cup after beating the Carolina Hurricanes, 3-1, to win the final series four games to one, in Detroit. The arena will be the home of the Red Wings one more time on Sunday, April 9, 2017, when they host the New Jersey Devils. (Ryan Remiorz/The Canadian Press via AP, File)(Photo: The Associated Press)

It's a conversation that not many Detroit professional sports fans will want to have.

But when will a Detroit team win another championship? The Detroit Red Wings are the last pro sports team in Detroit to win a title, but that was back in the 2007-08 season.

The Pistons won a couple of years before that in 2004 and the Detroit Tigers and Detroit Lions haven't won championships for several decades. So which franchise will be next to break through and claim a title?

Let's count down from the least likely to most likely to claim the city's next championship.

4. Detroit Red Wings: The team that had been the most consistent for the past two decades has the steepest climb back into title contention. The Red Wings just don't have NHL ready talent to match up with the upper echelon teams in the NHL. Their salary cap situation is a mess and it likely will be several more years before they have the flexibility to add prominent players through free agency. Until then, the Red Wings will have to rely on the draft to improve and that process will take time.

3. Detroit Tigers: If there was a salary cap in Major League Baseball, the Tigers would be in even worse shape than the Red Wings. The difference with the Tigers is they actually have pieces they could trade that could help them foster a quicker turnaround. But it won't be painless. The Tigers are several pieces away from competing for a championship and they haven't fully started the rebuilding process.

Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy gestures during the second half against the Magic on Wednesday, April 12, 2017 in Orlando.(Photo: John Raoux, AP)

2. Detroit Pistons: A year ago, the Pistons were coming off of one of their best seasons in years and appeared ready to become one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference. Fast forward a year and they are stuck in no man's land. There is no definitive direction the team is heading under coach and team president Stan Van Gundy. The hope is that a healthy Reggie Jackson will position the team for another breakout season. But to win a championship in the NBA, you must have the star power to go through Golden State and Cleveland, and Detroit isn't even close to being able to take on such teams.

1. Detroit Lions: I can already hear the jokes, the Lions are the closest Detroit pro team to win a title? Yes, actually they are. The Lions have what every NFL franchise needs -- an elite quarterback. They have a stable coach, who is one of the most successful in franchise history and they have a young talent base that could grow together and surprise. Detroit might not be ready to contend for a Super Bowl this season, but they do seem to be heading in the right direction. That's more than what the other three Detroit sports teams can boast.

Contact Joseph Hayes at (810) 989-6268 or at jahayes@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @Joseph_Hayes11.